The decision to go to bed 90 minutes before the end of the third Ashes Test will haunt me foreverI fell for cricket in the summer of 1987. I was eight years old and Australia were playing three Tests against New Zealand. In our lounge room in north Perth, I sat on the edge of the couch, and watched almost every ball on our old wooden TV. The only time I got up was for meals, toilet breaks and to delicately adjust the rabbit ear antenna when the picture got too blurry.

David Boon hit 143 to help Australia win the first Test, Border 205 to draw the second. By Boxing Day all they needed was a draw to win the series. But on the last day, wickets started tumbling, until the last two batsmen were Craig McDermott and Mike Whitney. With the sun setting over the MCG, they had to survive six overs.